The Insecticons were latecomers to the war on Earth. When Megatron left his ship to board the Ark, the Insecticons stayed behind. As the ship crashed, the Insecticons jettisoned an escape pod and landed deep in a swamp, so they assumed the shape of the dominant lifeforms in the area. In their insect modes, the Insecticons are insect sized making them perfect for stealth missions, although they have the ability to grow larger. They also have the ability to create clones of themselves out of any available scrap metal, allowing them to form a fearsome swarm. There are three members of the Insecticons:

Kickback transforms into a Grasshopper. He has the ability to jump extremely long distances in this mode.

Shrapnel transforms into a beetle. He can use his antennae to control nearby robots and electrical devices. Thatnks to his small size, he can do this without fear of detection, making him an invisible threat.

Bombshell transforms into a Weevil. He has the particularly sinister ability to implant tiny cerebro-shells into his victim’s brains, granting him the ability to control their every action. This works on any lifeform, robotic or human.

The Insecticons may seem almost too formidable with their abilities of replication and mind control, but lucky for the Autobots they do not feel a particularly strong allegiance to the Decepticon cause. They spend almost as much time fighting Megatron and his cronies than they do fighting anyone else.